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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) has released its annual Travel & Culture Guide, a 24-page compendium of outdoor festivals, concerts, theater and cultural activities taking place in Massachusetts from June through October.

The Guide is available for free at tourism centers, museums, hotels and cultural venues across the state. For a list of outlets, click here.

Friday, June 11, 2010

New England's Irish festival season - which runs from June through October - kicks off this weekend with the annual Worcester Irish Festival in Central Massachusetts, from Friday, June 11 to Sunday, June 13 at the Hibernian Cultural Center.

The festival has quickly become a must-go event for the region's substantial Irish-American community, and attracts people from the six New England states, and the New York metro area.

Headlining this year's festival is Solas, a traditional quintet praised for its innovation and virtuosity, interpreting traditional dance melodies with an avant-garde sensibility.

Other headliners include Makem & Spain Brothers who are carrying on the great tradition of Irish ballad singing perfected by Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers.

From Canada comes the Glengarry Bhoys with their fusion of tradition, rock, folk and jazz, and Cynthia MacLeod, the fine young fiddler from Prince Edward Island.

Tickets to the festival are $15 for one day and $30 for a weekend pass, and can be purchased at the gate.

The festival is located on the grounds of the Worcester Hibernian Cultural Centre at 19 Temple Street in downtown Worcester.

For year-round events at the Hibernian Cultural Centre, visit socialweb.net/